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Cunningham, Cunningham 2002
Organizing
Living Things
• Organism
•
•
•
•
•
Population
Biological
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere
Food Web: Cross-connected Food Chains
Cunningham, Cunningham 2002
Where do
humans
fit in?
What
levels
do
humans
manage
or
change?
Cunningham, Cunningham 2002
Are these
trophic levels
present in our
classroom?
Primary
Producers?
Top carnivores?
Herbivores?
Decomposers?
Kane Hall Rm 130; University of
WA homepage
Energy Pyramid
Cunningham, Cunningham 2002
Most energy in most ecosystems is stored in the bodies
of primary producers. Only about 10 % of the
energy at one level passes to the next highest trophic
level.
What is missing here?
Does it matter?
Cunningham, Cunningham 2002
Cunningham, Cunningham 2002
It takes numerous small organisms or plants to feed one
large organism. The efficiency for extracting energy out
of food is higher at the top of the pyramid.
But we live in a human ecosystem where some people
consider humans to be the top predator!
SO Humans change the flows and fluxes in an
ecosystem and have replaced or perform the functions
occurring in ecosystems. Example: we have
eliminated or drastically reduced the population of top
predators that might hunt or harm us, or eat our food
http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/acari/index.html, http://www.dfwpest.com/scorpion.htm
http://webhome.idirect.com/~preeves/wildlife/bears/grizzley02.html
West Africa
Deserts. The Encroaching Wilderness. Ed. Allan and Warren. 1993 Oxford University Press
Deserts. The Encroaching Wilderness. Ed. Allan
and Warren. 1993 Oxford University Press
Utah
Chaco Canyon, San Juan Basin, New Mexico
http://www.ratical.com/southwest/ChacoCanyon.html
Sudan
Deserts. The Encroaching Wilderness. Ed. Allan and Warren. 1993 Oxford University Press
Tranvsvaal, South Africa
Closed system:
has to be
sustainable if
trophic levels
are to survive
from what is
present.
This is a shrimp
/ bacteria
system that can
persist for
several years (I
had one that
persisted for 4
years)
Biosphere 2
Ecosphere,
Arizona;
Photo: K Vogt
Alaska
TUNDRA
Photo: K Vogt
Iceland
What parts of the pyramid are missing here
in the tundra?
Can humans be self-sufficient and survive
here?
Are animals self-sufficient? Why would
large mammals migrate in winter?
Photo: K
Vogt
volcanic
layers
TUNDRA
Iceland
ice polygons
Caribou; http://www.beautyworlds.com/articphotos.htm;
TUNDRA
TUNDRA
Harbour seal
http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp?pg=3&ti=034D1000&idx=461530760
http://www.beautyworlds.com/articphotos.htm
Kayaks;
http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/archeo/oracles/kayak/11.htm
TUNDRA
Lichen in Iceland;
photo K Vogt
Reindeer; Siberia
http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp?pg=3&ti=761556603&idx=681500039
TUNDRA
Layers of Ice
Photo: H Bormann
Alaska - permafrost
TUNDRA
Alaska
Human habitation similar to
animals that don’t migrate –
underground, covered with
organic materials
Photos: K Vogt, H Bormann
Iceland
Alaska
TUNDRA
Photo: H Bormann
Keystone species – all other
animals eat to survive; their
loss would have a major
impact on the continued
persistence of that ecosystems
Far Side
Brown lemming –
another keystone species
in the tundra
http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp?pg=3&ti=76156
4834&idx=461517314
Malaysia dipterocarp forest,
TROPICAL FOREST
What parts of
the pyramid are
missing here in
the tropics?
Can humans be
self-sufficient,
survive?
Are animals
self-sufficient?
Do animals
migrate?
Photo: K Vogt
Brazil Amazon,
TROPICAL FOREST
Photo: K Vogt
Cassava /
manioc,
Brazilian
Amazon,
TROPICAL
FOREST
Photo: K Vogt
Cabybara, Venezuela
Cabybara, Amazon,
SAVANNA (Tropical)
Piranha, Brazilian
Amazon, TROPICAL
FOREST
Photos: K Vogt
TROPICAL FOREST
Puerto Rico - bread fruit
Photo: K Vogt
Açai – Brazilian Amazon
What happens in the environment when humans change
parts of the ecosystem, one of the trophic levels?
How do we know when we are having a negative
impact? What do we need to change to imbalance the
system?
Lets look at the classroom
in Kane Hall again which is
totally of human construct
(not very natural)
NOTE: Most
environmental problems
result from manipulating
trophic levels
UW homepage
Different roles of a species the coqui:
In Puerto Rico - important in speeding up the recovery rate
of forests after hurricanes;
In Hawaii invasive pest that is out competing native
species and taking over their habitat.
Coqui, golden
Puerto Rico
Brazilian Amazon;
Photo: K Vogt
Margay, Belize;
http://www.belizezoo.org/zoo/zoo/mammals/mar/mar4.html
Conservation,
Sustainable
Development or
Empowering
Indigenous People?
Pet parrots, Amazon Brazil,
TROPICAL FORESTS
Photo: K Vogt
Jaguar, Belize
Conflicts:
Agriculture, food
production
Animal species
conservation
Preservation Maya ruins
Persistence of forest
cover
Political power at all
levels
TROPICAL FOREST;
photo: Programme for Belize
Persistence of Maya
culture, etc
Degraded grasslands
with sheep,
TUNDRA
Photo: B Hecht
Iceland
Lupine
Icelandic
BOREAL
FOREST
All
introduced
species –
not native
Photo: K Vogt
Siberian
Larch
Food Web: Cross-connected Food Chains
Photo: K Vogt
Cunningham, Cunningham 2002